Football

Crowd for football opener ranks Tech ninth in nation

Sep 03, 2008

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The season-opening crowd of 12,228 in
Tucker Stadium last Thursday night has Tennessee Tech ranked among
national leaders in attendance in the Football Championship
Subdivision. Tech is currently ranked ninth among all FCS teams in
total and average attendance.

Tech's 2008 opening day crowd fell just short of last year's
record-setting opening game crowd of 12,831, but still ranks in the
top 20 crowds of all-time in Tucker Stadium's 43-year history.

"The crowd for the opening game was a great way for the team to
start the 2008 season," said Mark Wilson, TTU Director of
Athletics. "Thanks to all of the fans who came out to support the
team and coach (Watson) Brown. It's important that we keep that
support going strong."

Tech is on the road for its next three games, visiting Louisville,
Southeast Missouri and Western Michigan, before playing at home on
Thursday, Sept. 25.

Texas Southern leads FCS with a crowd of 20,444 in its opener,
followed by No. 2 ranked North Dakota State with 18,701. In fact,
two of the eight teams ranked higher than Tech in attendance are
ranked in the top four in the national poll. In addition to NDSU,
fourth-ranked UMass is listed sixth in attendance (15,112).

After Texas Southern and NDSU, Florida A&M (18,088) was third,
followed by Norfolk State (17,132), Liberty (15,311), UMass, Texas
State (13,952) Montana State (13,767) and Tech. Sam Houston State
was 10th (12,058).

The list included two other Ohio Valley Conference schools, one
non-football OVC team, and one former OVC team. Samford was 19th
with 8,240 fans, Murray State was 23rd with 6,385, Morehead State
26th with 5,719, and Southeast Missouri 27th with 5,475.
Where Thursday's crowd ranked
all-time in Tucker Stadium history: